Source Naturals, Essential Enzymes, Digestive Aid, 120 Capsules

Essential Enzymes
Bio-Aligned Formula, Multi-System Support for Digestion

Essential Enzymes is one of Source Naturals' most popular formulas - customers buy it again and again. Why? Essential Enzymes is uniquely effective because it addresses systems, not just symptoms.

Essential Enzymes is a Bio-Aligned Formula, designed to ensure that you absorb the full nutritional value of your food. Essential Enzymes supports your body's systems for digestion of multiple food groups: carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber. Each Essential Enzymes capsule contains 500 mg of an all-vegetarian, high-potency, broad-spectrum blend of the purest grade food enzymes. This comprehensive formula contains enzymes, in the following optimal proportions, for breaking down a typical meal.

Essential Enzymes - A Bio-Aligned Formula
Essential Enzymes is designed to bring alignment to the multiple, interconnected systems that influence digestion. The formula includes food grade enzymes that function in a range of different pH (acidity) levels found in the digestive tract. As a result, different enzymes are available to break down food molecules in the various stages of digestion.

• Essential Enzymes for Carbohydrate Digestive System
  The first step in digestion occurs in the mouth, where the digestion of carbohydrates is initiated. Amylase, the enzyme contained in saliva, converts starch (a form of carbohydrate) into simpler sugars. This process is completed when the pancreas secretes more amylase into the small intestine. Lactase supports the breakdown of lactose (sugar from milk) that many populations are unable to digest. ESSENTIAL ENZYMES supports carbohydrate digestion with lactase, to break down milk sugar, and amylase and amyloglucosidase to break down starch.
  
  
• Essential Enzymes for Protein Digestive System
  In the stomach, food is broken down further by churning and by the action of the gastric juice, which contains pepsin and hydrochloric acid. Pepsin, a protease enzyme that depends on the highly acidic (pH 1.5 to 2.5) environment of the stomach for functioning, begins the process of breaking down protein into peptides and amino acids. The food, at this stage called "chyme", then continues on to the alkaline (pH 7.0 to 8.0) environment of the small intestine, where the intestinal and pancreatic proteases complete protein digestion. ESSENTIAL ENZYMES supports protein digestion with two forms of protease enzymes, acid-stable protease and vegetal analog of pancreatin.
  
  
• Essential Enzymes for Fat Digestive System
  Fat digestion occurs in the initial section of the small intestine. The liver produces bile salts and acids, and stores them in the gall bladder. Bile emulsifies fats, breaking them apart into droplets. In this form they can be attacked by the pancreatic enzyme called lipase that helps break down fat into glycerides and fatty acids. Bile and pancreatic fluid together neutralize stomach acid, which is essential because the intestinal enzymes function only at a pH of 7 to 8. ESSENTIAL ENZYMES supports fat digestion with the enzyme lipase.
  
  
• Essential Enzymes for Fiber Digestive System
  Fiber - found in foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables - provides bulk to enable the large intestine to work effectively. It also helps regulate the nutrient absorption in the small intestine. The breakdown of certain fibers may add further benefit. Cellulase and hemicellulase break down plant cell walls in fibrous foods, thereby making available nutrients within these cells. ESSENTIAL ENZYMES supports fiber digestion with the enzymes cellulase and hemicellulase.

Supplement Facts for original
Serving Size: 1 capsule
Amount %DV
TO BREAK DOWN PROTEIN:
Vegetal Analog of Pancreatin 286 mg 28,625 FCC
Acid-Stable Protease 12 mg 785 FCC
TO BREAK DOWN FATS:
Lipase 125 mg 375 FCC
TO BREAK DOWN CARBOHYDRATES:
alpha-Amylase 52 mg 630 FCC
Amyloglucosidase 12 mg 2 FCC
TO BREAK DOWN FIBER:
Cellulase 5 mg 100 FCC
Hemicellulase 3 mg 325 FCC
TO BREAK DOWN MILK SUGAR:
Lactase 5 mg 40 FCC
FCC (Food Chemical Codex) units measure enzyme activity.

Other Ingredients: gelatin (capsule), magnesium stearate. Each capsule contains 500 mg of an all-vegetarian, broad spectrum blend of digestive enzymes.

Warning: If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your health care professional before using Essential Enzymes product.

Suggested Use: One Essential Enzymes capsule with water at the beginning of each meal (or open capsule and sprinkle over food). If the meal is very large or unusually high in fat or protein, a second capsule can be taken after eating. Do not sprinkle on hot food.

Source Naturals Essential Enzymes are HYPOALLERGENIC: contains no yeast, dairy, egg, gluten, corn, soy or wheat. Contains no sugar, salt, preservatives or artificial color, flavor or fragrance.

Essential Enzymes are also available in vegetarian capsules.